We’re heading well beyond the era in which veganism might have seemed like a merely ‘trendy’ – but ultimately relatively inconsequential – thing to practise, and rightly so.
Many of us know the word “vegan” by the dictionary definition, this term being applied to people who refuse to “eat or use any animal products, such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, or leather.” But great numbers of us also think of veganism as largely ‘just’ a diet practice, rather than a more encompassing approach to life.
This brings us neatly onto the subject of vegan skincare products, which have certainly seen surging popularity in recent times. Google Trends data indicates a general upward trend over the past decade of people performing searches for terms like “vegan beauty”, while – according to the market research firm Mintel – 175% growth was seen in the number of vegan launches during a five-year spell from 2013 to 2018.
But enough about how popular vegan skincare products are becoming – in which ways can the use of them actually benefit you and our planet? Below, we take you through some of those ways.
They Tend To Be Gentler And Healthier To Your Hair And Skin
Although it isn’t absolutely guaranteed that a given vegan skincare product will be better for you than a specific non-vegan equivalent, there is a general tendency for products in the former category to be gentler than those in the latter category.
Vegan skincare products frequently use non-irritative ingredients that don’t cause aggravation to the skin. In the case of their non-vegan counterparts, meanwhile, there can sometimes be nasty ingredients and animal by-products that might be harsh to the skin, such as uric acid sourced from cows.
With purely plant-based creams and other vegan beauty products not having the unpleasant additives associated with non-vegan offerings, they can be easily absorbed, and the user will be a lot less likely to suffer from the clogged pores that can lead to acne breakouts. Plants are nature’s purifiers, and their use in cosmetics can help you achieve a truly natural beauty.
They Go Beyond ‘Not Being Tested On Animals’
When browsing the websites of popular vegan cosmetics brands such as Doctor A, you may have noticed the use of the term “cruelty-free”, and wondered what this means.
In essence, “cruelty-free” represents a step up from the notion of a given product not having been tested on animals. Products that are merely ‘not tested on animals’ could still contain some animal-derived ingredients, such as beeswax, so it helps to know about this distinction when you are looking to shop for skincare items in a socially and environmentally responsible way.
The fact is, you don’t need animals to suffer or undergo abuse, in order to look and feel beautiful. All manner of vegan cosmetics products are available that support a genuinely guilt-free beauty regimen.
Their Ingredients Are Sourced In A Less Environmentally Damaging Manner
With vegan skincare products using ingredients that are already found in nature, there isn’t a need for the kind of intrusive materials extraction or laboratory generation processes that are associated with the creation of their non-vegan equivalents.
This ensures that vegan products don’t cause damage to the environment after they have been used; instead, they break down into non-harmful components, the wider environment reabsorbing them in a sustainable way.
These Products Tend To Be In Environmentally Friendly Packaging
This might be a slightly less ‘direct’ benefit of using vegan skincare products, but it is nonetheless one to consider. With vegan products so often being purchased in the first place because of the claimed environmental benefits, the manufacturers of such products don’t tend to focus exclusively on the products inside the packaging – they also take a lot of care over the packaging itself.
As is now well-recognised, product packaging is often a significant contributor to environmental damage. Vegan beauty brands therefore frequently seek to counteract this, by ensuring their product packaging is eco-friendly – for example, by using already-recycled materials that can then be recycled again in turn.
With great-quality vegan cosmetics products frequently being comparable in price these days to non-vegan offerings, you really have very little excuse to avoid incorporating at least some vegan aspects into your beauty routine. It isn’t just a good thing to do for the planet – you might also prefer vegan skincare products for the results they can help you obtain.
